Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C23/00—Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially adapted for mounting on vehicles; Arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles, e.g. of pumps or of tanks; Tyre cooling arrangements
  • B60C23/02—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure
  • B60C23/04—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure mounted on the wheel or tyre
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C23/00—Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially adapted for mounting on vehicles; Arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles, e.g. of pumps or of tanks; Tyre cooling arrangements
  • B60C23/02—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure
  • B60C23/04—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure mounted on the wheel or tyre
  • B60C23/0491—Constructional details of means for attaching the control device
  • B60C23/0498—Constructional details of means for attaching the control device for rim attachments
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C23/00—Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially adapted for mounting on vehicles; Arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles, e.g. of pumps or of tanks; Tyre cooling arrangements
  • B60C23/02—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure
  • B60C23/04—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure mounted on the wheel or tyre
  • B60C23/0401—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure mounted on the wheel or tyre characterised by the type of alarm
  • B60C23/0406—Alarms noticeable from outside the vehicle, e.g. indication in side mirror, front light or audible alarms
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C23/00—Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially adapted for mounting on vehicles; Arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles, e.g. of pumps or of tanks; Tyre cooling arrangements
  • B60C23/02—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure
  • B60C23/04—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure mounted on the wheel or tyre
  • B60C23/0408—Signalling devices actuated by tyre pressure mounted on the wheel or tyre transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
  • B60C23/0479—Communicating with external units being not part of the vehicle, e.g. tools for diagnostic, mobile phones, electronic keys or service stations
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60C—VEHICLE TYRES; TYRE INFLATION; TYRE CHANGING; CONNECTING VALVES TO INFLATABLE ELASTIC BODIES IN GENERAL; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO TYRES
  • B60C23/00—Devices for measuring, signalling, controlling, or distributing tyre pressure or temperature, specially adapted for mounting on vehicles; Arrangement of tyre inflating devices on vehicles, e.g. of pumps or of tanks; Tyre cooling arrangements
  • B60C23/20—Devices for measuring or signalling tyre temperature only
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01L—MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE
  • G01L17/00—Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01M—TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G01M17/00—Testing of vehicles
  • G01M17/007—Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles
  • G01M17/02—Tyres

Definitions

• the housing comprises an elastic material that is resiliently flexible.
• Suitable materials are: silicone rubber, natural rubber, polyurethane, neoprene rubber, a fluoropolymer elastomer, a nitrile rubber, a butyl rubber, a synthetic rubber, a thermoplastic elastomer; and any combination thereof.
• the sensor device comprises a pressure sensor for measuring the internal pressure of a tyre.
• the tyre monitor is able to be used inside a tyre assembly, and so the pressure sensor can directly monitor the gas pressure within the tyre.
• a memory unit may be provided for storing data, together with a processor arranged to record in the memory unit data from a sensor.
• a time source may also be provided and arranged such that data recorded in the memory unit includes an indication of the time of the reading from the sensor.
• At least one resiliently flexible damper may be provided on the retaining ring, to dampen vibration and impact.
• a damper is provided at each end portion of the ring, and these may be used as hand grips so that a user may grip and manipulate the ring.
• the invention further provides a wheel assembly including such a tyre monitor.
• the invention further provides an aircraft including a wheel assembly and the tyre monitor.
• a wheel assembly and the tyre monitor Preferably, a plurality of wheel assemblies and a plurality of tyre monitors are provided, with each tyre monitor being associated with a different respective wheel assembly.
• the invention provides a method of monitoring an operating parameter of a tyre on an aircraft, the method comprising utilising the tyre monitor to detect the operating parameter of the tyre.
• Figure l is a front view of an aircraft
• Figure 4 is a perspective view of a tyre incorporating the tyre monitor of Figure 3;
• Figure 5 is a is a perspective view of a tyre incorporating the tyre monitor of Figure 3 in an alternative configuration
• Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a tyre pressure sensing device of the tyre monitor of Figure 3;
• Figure 7 is a schematic view of a tyre monitor constructed according to another embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 9 is a side schematic view of a tyre incorporating the tyre monitor of Figure 8.
• Figure 10 is a side schematic view of a tyre incorporating the tyre monitor of Figure 8 in an alternative configuration.
• an aircraft indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 comprises a pair of wings 2a, 2b and a fuselage 3.
• the wings 2a, 2b each carry an engine 4a, 4b respectively.
• the aircraft 1 is supported on the ground by sets of landing gear assemblies comprising a main landing gear (MLG) 5 and a nose landing gear (NLG) 6.
• the landing gear assemblies comprise pairs of wheel assemblies 7 which are shown in Figure 1 in contact with the ground (e.g. a runway).
• This aircraft has six wheel assemblies in total; four wheel assemblies as part of the MLG 5 and two wheel assemblies as part of the nose landing gear NLG 6.
• the aircraft therefore needs six tyre monitoring devices.
• Other models of aircraft may have different numbers of wheel assemblies and hence different numbers of tyre monitoring devices.
• a tyre monitor 11 is provided inside the tyre 10.
• the tyre monitor 11 comprises a tyre pressure sensor device 12 in a casing 13, the casing being at least partially surrounded by a protective, resiliently flexible housing 14.
• the housing 14 is formed from a thick layer of silicone rubber that is able to withstand the extremes of temperature that are experienced in the tyre (typically between -50°C to 275°C).
• the housing 14 serves to protect the contents of the casing 13 from impact and vibration, and also protects the tyre 10 and rims 8, 9 of the wheel assembly 7 from impact with the casing.
• the wheel rim portions 8, 9 are then assembled on the tyre 10 and bolted together, and the tyre is pressurised.
• the tyre monitor 11 may be installed when the tyre 10 has been fitted to one of the rims 8 or 9, prior to the other rim being fitted.
• the tyre monitor 11 of the present invention is simple and quick to install, requiring no special tools or fasteners or specialist operator training.
• the power supply 18 is a battery with power sufficient to run the tyre pressure sensor device 12 in normal operation for several years.
• the device may spend much of its operational life in “sleep” or low power mode, with most of the components other than the processor 19 and wireless communication interface 21 powered off. This can conserve battery life.
• the tyre pressure sensor device 12 may be by default in a low power mode, listening for a command to measure or report tyre pressure.
• the device may also include a temperature sensor 23 connected to the processor and arranged to take reading of the temperature of the gas inside the tyre directly. Data from the temperature sensor 23 may also be stored in the memory unit 20.
• the temperature sensor 23 may be any suitable sensor for measuring gas temperature within a tyre, such as a thermocouple. Knowing gas temperature enables direct temperature compensation of pressure measurements to be carried out- there is no need to wait for the wheels to cool.
• Measurements of tyre pressure can be taken at regular intervals to obtain historical data of pressure without requiring operator input and stored with an associated time of measurement or time stamp.
• temperature data can also be stored along with the pressure data.
• a history of pressure/temperature pairs with an associated time stamp can therefore be built up over time. Such historical data can be used to improve the reliability of tyre pressure measurement and enable improved tyre maintenance
• the housing 26 protects the tyre and rim from impact with the counterweight 25, and may also serve to dampen deflection and vibration experienced by the tyre monitor.
• the retaining ring 5 may be biased radially outwardly, so that the housings 14, 26 of the tyre pressure sensing device 12 and the counterweight 25 are urged towards the inner surface of the tyre.
• the ring 5 may be biased radially inwardly as with the monitor of Figure 5, so that the housings 14, 26 contact the rim of the wheel assembly.
• the method of installing this embodiment of the tyre monitor is the same as that described for the monitor of Figure 3.
• the counterweight 25 may include the power supply 18 for the or each sensor.
• power is transmitted from the power supply 18 to the tyre pressure sensing device 12 by means of conductors embedded in, or attached to, the retaining ring 5.
• the ring itself may form the electrical conductor between the power supply 18 and the rest of the tyre pressure sensing device 12.
• the power supply of the tyre pressure sensing device may include a power harvesting system, in which the deflections and vibrations experienced by the tyre monitor are used to charge a capacitor or battery which is then used to power the device. Further variations will be apparent to the skilled person.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Measuring Fluid Pressure (AREA)
• Arrangements For Transmission Of Measured Signals (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=74188826

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Family Cites Families (38)

• 2020
  • 2020-12-15 GB GB2019753.9A patent/GB2602012A/en not_active Withdrawn
• 2021
  • 2021-12-15 US US18/257,771 patent/US12311706B2/en active Active
  • 2021-12-15 EP EP21840463.0A patent/EP4263245A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2021-12-15 WO PCT/EP2021/085847 patent/WO2022129143A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2021-12-15 CN CN202180084377.8A patent/CN116615343A/zh active Pending

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